~Post by MysteryPeople Crime Fiction Coordinator Scott M.
GEORGE PELECANOS is one of those crime fiction writers other writers love to read. His sharp dialogue, rich characterization, and social awareness put the full potential of the genre on display. He’s used his hometown of Washington DC to look at the working class and their struggles.
After writing several critically acclaimed stand-alone novels while also writing for the phenomenal HBO show The Wire, Pelecanos has returned to a series character with The Cut. In this new thriller, he introduces us to Spero Lucas, an Iraq war vet who retrieves stolen property for a forty percent commission, putting him in contact with cops, cons, and the people simply searching for a life in his city.
Mr. Pelecanos will be at the store Friday, September 2nd at 7PM to sign and discuss The Cut. The book quickly became a favorite of mine and other members of the BookPeople staff. I recently had the honor of doing an interview via email with Pelecanos to ask him a few questions.
Q: You’ve done several stand-alones in the past five years and The Cut seems to be a return to your early series characters like part time PI Nick Stefanos and ex-cop Derek Strange. What spurred you to go back to this form?
A: I was ready to write a straight-ahead crime novel again. I had met some veterans of Iraq who were working as investigators for criminal attorneys in DC, and I felt like there was a story there. The idea that Spero Lucas would do recovery work on the side for a fee was a fictional conceit that gave me the engine for the narrative. I don’t have plans in terms of my career, to be honest with you. I write the books that are knocking on the door of my imagination.
Q: How have the DC streets changed in your books since those earlier heroes walked them?
A: DC has changed considerably since I started writing about it. Back then we had 460-some homicides a year; now we have a third of that. The violence around the drug trade has lessened as well. When I was a teenager DC was 70, 75 percent black, and now it’s 50 percent. Chalk that up to whites moving back in and a rise in the Hispanic population. Get out in the neighborhoods, though, and you’ll discover our culture. It’s still a black city to me, with a southern black aesthetic behind it. Always will be. We have our own music, Go-Go. We have a storied, straight-edge punk scene. All that stuff you read about Washington being a buttoned-down city of transients in cheap suits is bull.
Q: For you as a writer, what is the appeal of following Spero Lucas for a few books?
A: The way I set him up, there’s more to discover about him and his psyche. Because he’s young, there’s room for him to grow.
Q: What kind of impact has writing for television shows like The Wire and Treme had on your novel writing?
A: It has made me a better novelist, I hope. Being around all those smart people has helped me to look more analytically at what I’m doing with my books.
Q: Unknown Man #89, one of the most underrated Elmore Leonard novels, gets a shout it in The Cut and seems to be an inspiration for its hero and story. What grabbed you about that book?
A: It is one of Mr. Leonard’s better novels. Tough and honest, with a deep understanding of its characters, particularly the struggling alcoholic lovers. I like his novel Swag a great deal, too. It was called Ryan’s Rules when it was first published. My favorite Elmore Leonard novel is a Western: Valdez is Coming. That book is flawless, man.
Q: I know you are a big music and film buff. Do they influence your writing as much other novels?
A: Yes, music for pacing, film for structure. I freely admit that movies, not novels, were my primary influence when I started out. I was a movie freak when I was growing up, and that was the Golden Age for films. A teacher at the University of Maryland eventually turned me on to books. God bless him, he changed my life.
God bless that teacher, indeed. Join us Friday, September 2nd at 7PM to meet this respected and unique writer.
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